Iowa high school state softball 2022: Gazette-area team capsules

FORT DODGE — Capsules on the six area teams that have qualified for the Iowa high school state softball tournament, which runs Monday through Friday at the Rogers Sports Complex.

Linn-Mar (Class 5A)

Record: 36-4

Ranking: No. 8

Coach: Lindsey Murray (4th year, 96-42)

Tournament history: 8th appearance, first since 2015. Class 4A runner-up in 2006.

Leading hitters: Anna Streff is back with the Lions after three years away playing club-only, and has made a huge impact. She is hitting a team-high .414 with 17 doubles. She is one of four seniors hitting better than .400, along with Caelynn Obleton (51 runs), Hannah Gralund (8 HR, 47 RBIs) and Claire Michael (41 runs, 37 RBIs).

Top pitchers: Linn-Mar possesses two good options in junior Jordyn Beck (17-2, 1.94 ERA, 124 strikeouts) and freshman Emily Koranda (14-1, 1.05 ERA, 119 K’s).

First-round opponent: Lions face No. 4 Waukee Northwest (32-7) in a 5A quarterfinal at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Mount Vernon (Class 3A)

Record: 33-4

Ranking: No. 1

Coach: Robin Brand (11th year at Mount Vernon, 290-131; 15th year overall)

Tournament history: 9th appearance, fourth consecutive. 3A runner-up last year.

Leading hitters: Four Mustangs are at .400-plus, led by sophomore Addison Gookin (.498, 5 HR, 38 RBIs). More than half of senior Maia Bentley’s hits have gone for extra bases, including six home runs. She hits .420 and leads the Mustangs in runs (37) and RBIs (39). Seniors Nadia Telecky and Ashlyn Steen are at .417 and .407.

Top pitchers: Senior Jenna Sprague owns a 23-2 mark and a 0.85 ERA. She has struck out 186 betters and walked 25 in 157 innings. Gookin is 9-2.

First-round opponent: Mustangs will face Dubuque Wahlert (23-16) in a 3A quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Monday.

Williamsburg (Class 3A)

Record: 32-10

Ranking: No. 3

Coach: Adam Berte (6th year, 165-73)

Tournament history: 5th appearance, third consecutive. Class 3A runner-up in 2020, third last year.

Leading hitters: The only senior on the roster, Rylee Vercande is a speedy, powerful leadoff hitter. She is batting .452 with 12 home runs, 44 runs and 42 RBIs. Shannon Finn (soph.) is at a team-high .455 with 40 runs and 32 steals. Elle Ridgeway (jr., .390) is the Raiders’ RBI leader, with 54. She has nine homers.

Top pitchers: Junior Peyton Driscoll (17-4, 2.00 ERA) has pitched the Raiders to deep state runs each of the last two years. She has struck out 177 and walked 37 in 150 1/3 innings. Eighth-grader Jersey Metz is 11-2.

First-round opponent: Raiders will face No. 14 Sioux Center (22-9) in a 3A quarterfinal at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Iowa City Regina (Class 2A)

Record: 21-11

Ranking: No. 4

Coach: Angela Kessler (2nd year, 41-24)

Tournament history: 10th appearance, second consecutive. Won 2A titles in 2011, 2015 and 2017.

Leading hitters: Junior Courtney Kessler is the top batter at .412, and also leads in both runs (25) and RBIs (22). Kessler has eight doubles, as does senior Emma Nibaur (.357, 16 RBIs). Sophomore Avery Kies is at .353.

Top pitchers: Nibaur sports a 15-7 record and 2.48 ERA. She has struck out 122 batters and walked 20 in 135 2/3 innings.

First-round opponent: Regals will face No. 6 Van Meter (30-9) in a 2A quarterfinal at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Lisbon (Class 1A)

Record: 35-4

Ranking: No. 3

Coach: Bob Bunting (53rd year, 1,290-650)

Tournament history: 11th appearance, fifth in a row. Class 1A runner-up last year. Won three straight 1A championships in the mid-1990s.

Leading hitters: One of the best all-around junior athletes in the area, Peyton Robinson is batting .519 with 63 runs, and has developed some power, with four home runs, along with 33 steals. Blair Baltes (jr., .398) is the RBI leader, with 37. Kali Nelson (jr.) is hitting .389.

Top pitchers: Junior Ryleigh Allgood has crafted a 26-2 record and 0.62 ERA. She has struck out 214 batters (against 33 walks) in 168 2/3 innings.

First-round opponent: Lions will face No. 7 Twin Cedars (26-3) in a 1A quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

North Linn (Class 1A)

Record: 32-8

Ranking: No. 1

Coach: Chad Spore (2nd year, 74-14)

Tournament history: 4th appearance, and fourth consecutive. Won 2A championships in 2019 and 2021.

Leading hitters: Five key players are hitting .360 or better, led by junior Ellie Flanagan at .440. Senior Jill Smith (.398) leads with eight home runs and 45 RBIs. Leadoff batter Skylar Benesh, a sophomore, hits .360 with 50 runs and seven homers.

Top pitchers: Flanagan (21-6, 1.62 ERA, 188 strikeouts) is the ace, and the Lynx have a quality No. 2 in freshman Kylie Munson (12-1, 1.15).

First-round opponent: Lynx will face Mason City Newman (25-9) at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com